Game playing may be based on skill and/or based on chance. Some games are associated with one or more secondary games, such as a bonus game, a bonus mode, or a bonus round. Typically, a player may be able to qualify to play a bonus game based on one or more outcomes in a primary game, such as in a basic mode or a qualifying mode. A bonus round may be played in accordance with a set of rules that is different from those of a primary game, and may be accompanied by displays, colors, sounds, animated sequences, game play and/or prizes that are not part of the primary game. In some games, a player must achieve a particular outcome (or outcomes) (e.g., a qualifying outcome, a “start-bonus” outcome) during the primary game in order to qualify for entry into a bonus game. In some games, a bonus mode may be automatically initiated upon a player's achieving a winning outcome (or some other qualifying outcome(s)) in a qualifying round.
Well-known examples of bonus games associated with games of chance include, without limitation, (i) one or more free spins of a set of reels (that may be different from a set of reels used in a primary slot machine game); (ii) a game requiring a player to select one or more of a plurality of selectable elements (e.g., in order to reveal a bonus prize); (iii) a video, audio and/or animated event that awards a bonus prize to a player based on the event; and (iv) one or more free card games (that may be different from a primary card game).
Game machines (e.g., reeled slot machines or video poker machines) generate more than $15 billion per year in revenue for casinos in the United States alone. This figure accounts for more than half of the gaming revenue for a typical United States casino. The situation is similar in other countries in which game machines are popular, such as Europe and Australia. Accordingly, casinos and other operators of game machines are interested in promoting the use of game machines in order to maintain or increase revenues.
At a typical game machine, a bonus round is usually played less often than a machine's primary game. In fact, typically a player may play several rounds of a primary game without qualifying for the associated secondary game. For example, a player can wager on many handle pulls in a slot machine game without achieving a reel combination required to start a bonus mode.
Accordingly, some players may not get to experience some aspects of a secondary game as quickly as they would like, as often as they would like, or at all. Some players may become discouraged by or frustrated with the amount of time and/or money they have spent playing a game machine without qualifying for a bonus round. A player who fails to qualify for a bonus round on a game machine may experience a large net loss playing only the primary game. For example, with respect to some gaming devices, a large portion of the expected payback of the machine may be received in the form of payouts during the bonus round. In addition, some players may not even be aware of the size or types of prizes that may be available in a bonus round.
Further, some players may not understand how a bonus round is played, and may be concerned that they will play poorly if they do get into the bonus round. Accordingly, some players may avoid or stop playing a game machine and/or a primary game if they are uninformed about or do not fully appreciate the bonus round experience, if they feel uncomfortable about playing a bonus game, and/or if they do not recognize the potential benefits of getting into a bonus round.